Fools In April
by Jen6
Summary: Finally, Part Three is up! More characters are added, and Carter faces Abby and Deb's prank. Voting OPEN!
1. Default Chapter

"Fools In April" (an interactive fic)  
  
  
E-MAIL: JMGDrama@aol.com  
SPOILERS: none...just some random point in time that I've created (so if you notice that Mark has no brain tumor...yeah).  
DISCLAIMER: I wish, I wish, I wish I owned these characters (three's the lucky number, right?). But, I don't...(sigh)...so, enjoy them while I temporarily BORROW...(another sigh)...them for the time being. And no, I'm not earning any money from this...(goes into a corner and cries).  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: My example of the April Fool's challenge. Please, please critique and send to my e-mail! Of course, since this is interactive, I need ideas for Part II, so please e-mail those as well!  
SUMMARY: Too many April Fool jokes lead to an all-out challenge between the guys and girls on the medical staff at County.  
  
  
  
"Fools In April"  
  
====  
  
Malucci quickly glanced around the empty lounge, chuckling to himself. This day was going to be great. Everything had been set, and there was only one last thing to finish. After reassuring himself that no one was coming, he turned back to the opened locker in front of him and arranged the final touches on the bouquet of flowers sitting on the shelf. Malucci reached into his scrubs pocket and pulled out a card, which he placed on top of the floral arrangement. He couldn't help but laugh aloud; he'd really topped himself this time. Grinning, he lightly closed the locker, leaving a gap between the door and the latch, assuring him that the door hadn't clasped shut. Then, he poured himself a cup of coffee and headed toward the door to let the games begin.  
  
====  
  
Abby looked up at the sky, admiring for a brief moment, the creative pattern of the white clouds against the blue of the morning sky. Shaking her head to mentally prepare herself for work, Abby entered into the chaotic ER, stopping briefly when she saw the number of patients waiting to be seen.  
  
"Hey, Abby!" Deb called from the crowded admit desk. "You just arriving?"  
  
Abby dramatically rolled her eyes for Deb's benefit. "Yeah, lucky me!"  
  
Deb smiled and motioned Abby toward the lounge. "Get yourself settled, you'll be needed soon enough."  
  
Abby nodded at her while pushing open the lounge door.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
Startled, Abby let the door fall closed. Then, she opened it slightly, peering inside. She saw Malucci on the other side of the door, holding his nose.   
  
"Malucci, are you okay?"  
  
Malucci held up his bloody hand to her. "Sure, dis sord of thig happenz all the time." He said around his bleeding nose, then moved away from the door to grab some towels.  
  
Abby rushed into the lounge. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you. It was an accident."  
  
Malucci grinned. "I guezz dat's a comfort." With one hand he held a towel to his nose in an effort to staunch the flow of blood. With the other, he ineffectually tried to rub the drops of blood out of his scrub top.  
  
Abby noticed his efforts. "Oh, Malucci, I'm sorry. Here, let me help." She said as she began to pull the scrubs off of him. "We should get this off of you and soak it."  
  
Malucci looked down at Abby's efforts, then back at her eyes over the towel bunched up around his face. "If dis was all it took."  
  
Abby whacked his arm.  
  
"Awww," he said to no one in particular, "she likez me!"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Abby helped Malucci out of his scrubs. "Go to an empty curtain, I'll get someone to look at your nose."  
  
Malucci pointed at his scrub top. "And dat?"  
  
"I'll run it under some cold water to get the stains out."  
  
"So, I just go out dere withoud a top on."  
  
Abby nodded, hiding a smirk.  
  
"Dat's great." Malucci said, looking down at his bare chest. Then he shrugged, "at least du girlz will like id."  
  
Malucci headed for the lounge door, dramatically taking cautionary steps and waving his free arm out in front of him to ward off anymore flying doors.  
  
Abby shook her head, he never gave it up.  
  
He noticed her reaction, and smiling, took a mock bow.  
  
Abby saw the door opening and tried to warn Malucci, but it all happened too fast. The lounge door flew open, hitting the bowing Malucci in the rear, sending him head first into the arm of the couch. He collapsed on the floor with a moan.  
  
Despite her concern for Malucci, Abby couldn't help but feel the laughter building up within her. She bit her lip, trying to keep the bubbling giggles under control.  
  
John Carter looked at Abby holding a scrub top from the open doorway, then let his gaze travel down to the bare-chested Malucci on the floor. "Oops."  
  
It was too much for her. Carter's guilty and shocked expression combined with the irony of Malucci's lounge door experience won over her faltering rein on her laughter. Laughing so hard she was almost crying, Abby collapsed onto the couch trying to contain her giggles and breath.  
  
Carter glanced at her oddly before kneeling down to check Malucci's pulse. "Hey, are you okay?"  
  
Malucci opened one eye and groaned. "Dat's twice."  
  
Carter stared at Abby as she dissolved, once again, into a fit of laughter. After reassuring himself that Malucci was fine, Carter pulled him up and sent him into the ER to get his nose checked. After closing the door to the lounge, Carter poured himself a cup of coffee and stood by the machine watching Abby. She had sat up and was resting her elbows on her knees, her face in her hands. Carter watched as Abby slowly took deep breaths and pulled herself back into control. A few moments later, Carter was sure she had calmed even though she kept her face covered with her hands. "What happened to Malucci..." he began, but stopped as Abby's shoulders started shaking. He paused, not sure if she was okay. "Abby?" Her shoulders were still shaking, but this time Carter heard her laughing despite her efforts to muffle the noise behind her hands. "Why don't we talk about this later?"  
  
Abby peered through her hands. She looked at Carter apologetically, but he could see the glittering way her eyes were dancing with her suppressed giggles and couldn't help but laugh. Shaking his head, a smile on his face, Carter left the lounge in search of patients to help.  
  
====  
  
"The weather is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?" Elizabeth asked, her face close against the passenger side window of the car as she peered upward at the sky.  
  
Mark nodded, stealing a moment to look at her before returning his attention to the road. Just glancing at her was enough to power him for the day ahead.  
  
Elizabeth turned toward him. "Mark?"  
  
Mark smiled. "I heard you."  
  
"And?" She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow, convinced he hadn't heard a word she'd said since they had left the house.  
  
"The weather is beautiful."  
  
Elizabeth settled back into her seat. "Lucky guess," she muttered.  
  
====  
  
Abby took deep breaths, slowly feeling the laughter seep out of her body. She sighed happily, she hadn't laughed like that in a long time. It had felt good. She shook her head for focus, and got up from the couch to quickly put away her things before Kerry came in to hurry her along.   
  
Frowning at her unlatched locker, Abby opened it, expecting all of her stuff to be missing. Instead, she was face to face with a large bouquet of flowers. She reached for the card and upon reading it, smiled quizzically. Initially she thought it'd been from Luka, but she hadn't thought it would be from Carter. Abby wasn't sure what to think about this friendly gesture, if that was what it was in fact. She wasn't even sure if that's how she wanted to take it. Confused with herself, she put the card and her stuff back into the locker.   
  
As she headed into the ER to see some patients, she decided to catch Carter when she could and have a talk with him.  
  
====  
  
Carter walked past the admit desk, hoping a doctor was around this time. He saw Deb, fiddling around with the computer and approached her.  
  
"Can you give some Vicodin to a patient for me?" Carter asked, looking around the admit desk for the chart.  
  
Deb looked up distractedly. "I'm kind of busy Carter, can't you do it?"  
  
He lowered his gaze. "I can't touch narcotics."  
  
She nodded, understandingly. "Sure Carter, just put the chart on top of my others."  
  
He hesitated after still not finding his chart. Carter thought he knew exactly where he'd put it, but the big empty spot on the admit desk proved him wrong. Maybe he'd put it back in the rack? Carter searched through the various charts, sighing with relief when he found his errant one. He quickly put it atop Deb's, thanking her again before shrugging his shoulders at his forgetfulness and walking away.  
  
Deb hurriedly finished her computer reports so she could get to her growing pile of patient charts. She signed out and grabbed the charts, reviewing the top case. She flipped to the second page and almost didn't catch the card falling out from between the pages. Setting the charts down on an empty gurney, Deb opened the envelope, which was addressed to her, to read the card. She smiled at Carter's sweet note, even while she was bemused by his thought. She stuck the card into her lab coat pocket before picking up her charts and heading for her first patient. Deb kept an eye out for Carter as well. She was going to have to thank him.  
  
Malucci watched, smiling, as Deb walked into Curtain Three. Whistling contentedly to himself, he made himself busy around the admit desk, highly enjoying the show he'd created. April Fool's Day was his favorite holiday, no doubt.  
  
====  
  
  
So...what do you think? I haven't gotten to the "all-out challenge between the guys and girls" yet. That's coming. But, I need some suggestions from you all! Please e-mail (as if you haven't gotten it by now) or post them here, I guess, with your choices so I can get the next installment up as soon as possible.  
  
#1 Who should meet up with Carter first?  
A) Abby  
B) Deb  
C) Malucci  
D) Someone else  
  
#2 What is Malucci's next prank?  
A) Dying the coffee creamer green  
B) Locking Mark and Elizabeth up together  
C) Locking Carter and Abby and Deb up together  
D) Stealing Kerry's crutch  
E) Something else  
  
#3 Should Malucci invite Randi to join in his games? 


	2. Fools In April Part Two

"Fools In April: Part Two" (an interactive fic)  
  
  
AN: Thank you to everyone who participated in Part One of this interactive fic series (voting now closed to Part One). It was wild, it was crazy, it was fun. I loved all the suggestions and will probably incorporate some that weren't "winners" because they were hilarious (and I'm bored, so why not?) Enjoy Part Two! And, again, please give me feedback for Part Three!  
  
RESULTS:  
  
Who should meet up with Carter first?  
A) Abby-10  
B) Deb-2  
C) Malucci-1  
D) Someone else-  
{Kerry} 1  
  
What is Malucci's next prank?  
A) Dye the coffee creamer green-5  
B) Lock Elizabeth and Mark up together-2  
C) Lock Carter, Abby and Deb up together-4  
D) Steal Kerry's crutch-5  
E) Something else-1  
  
Should Malucci invite Randi to join in his games?  
A) Yes-9  
B) No-1  
  
  
====  
  
While randomly straightening papers on the admit desk, Malucci tried to come up with his next "plan of action." So far everything was working out just as he'd hoped. Possibly even better. He wasn't sure if Abby had fallen for the flowers and card, but time would tell.   
  
He sighed lightly.   
  
If only he had brought a video camera along to tape the ultimate confrontation with Carter. That would make some excellent entertainment for parties. Malucci briefly debated running to Carter's locker and throwing in a little something from the girls, but shook his head against the idea. That would be way too obvious.   
  
He pushed stuff around the desk, praising himself silently for having the patience to see where his pranks eventually went. But he sighed again. Waiting just wasn't fun.  
  
Malucci looked down at the mess of papers he'd spread over the counter, then around in a slight panic for Weaver. She would not appreciate his creative use of desk space. Nor his excuse for hanging around here when many patients waited to be seen.   
  
Hurriedly, he shoved them into a pile hoping it looked similar to the stacks Randi had all over. After putting the papers on top of another stack on the shelf below, Malucci straightened the pile, accidentally knocking over a paper bag in the process. Instead of righting it, Malucci pulled it toward him and took a quick peek. Inside were leftover party decorations from Saint Patrick's Day...confetti clovers, green crepe paper, little elf stickers and green food coloring. Malucci's eyes widened excitedly at seeing the last item.   
  
He had an idea for another prank.   
  
Quickly, Malucci rolled the top of the bag closed and walked toward the lounge for yet another dose of April Fools.  
  
====  
  
Haleh waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
She waited silently as Randi looked around the admit desk in confusion. Haleh knew she shouldn't have left the party decorations in Randi's care. She'd considered giving them to Lydia before going home to care for her father, but Randi had insisted that she would keep track of it. It's not like the decorations were really important, but Haleh wasn't ready to back down.  
  
Randi delicately opened a drawer and with two fingers lifted up a piece of paper that was blocking her view of the back. Haleh rolled her eyes. Then she glanced down at her watch again, making sure that Randi saw her actions this time.  
  
Randi did.  
  
But she kept up the slow pace of searching through every shelf and drawer in the admit desk.  
  
Haleh sighed and waited.  
  
==  
  
Randi had put the paper bag somewhere around here. She remembered doing it. Of course that was two weeks ago. Nobody in their right mind could remember where they put a bag two weeks ago. Especially a bag that wasn't even their own!  
  
She kept glancing at Haleh, slightly unnerved that the nurse continued to watch her. It wasn't going to make her go any faster, if that's what she thought.  
  
They were just Saint Patrick's Day decorations anyway. Why did Haleh need them tonight? It's not like she was planning a party for that holiday anytime soon.  
  
Randi took one final look around the admit desk and shrugged her shoulders. No idea where the stupid paper bag was. She looked up at Haleh, matching the nurse's death glare with one of her own. "When I find it, I'll let you know."  
  
Haleh just slowly cocked an eyebrow of skepticism.  
  
"Go home. I'll keep looking."  
  
"Uh huh." Haleh replied, eyebrow still cocked. Then, she settled her coat around her shoulders, threw Randi another look and left.  
  
Randi watched as the doors slid shut upon Haleh's exit. Then she turned back to the admit desk eyeing all the possible places the bag could still be hiding. She shook her head. No way. She was *not* going to spend her hours looking for Saint Patrick's Day decorations in April.  
  
She'd wait until next March.  
  
====  
  
Coffee.  
  
Kerry bullheaded her way through the throng of patients into the lounge, single-mindedly determined not to stop for anyone or any emergency until she had downed a cup of coffee. Preferably two.   
  
Since yesterday afternoon Kerry had been pulling an extra shift in order to cut down on the loads of sick people waiting in Chairs. Busloads of sick people. Patients with the flu, with allergies, with complaints, with fevers, etc etc etc. Okay, she thought grudgingly, so it wasn't *that* bad. But after an all-nighter, she was allowed to feel any damn way she pleased.  
  
And right now all she wanted was a gloriously hot cup of triple-boost caffeinated coffee. After that was in her system she'd be open to talking about other issues. Most notably, furnished sleep rooms and the hiring of many more residents.  
  
She eyed the coffee pot appreciatively, feeling a tired thrill run through her at the thought of getting her coffee. In one fluid motion Kerry grabbed her mug, set it down on the counter and poured herself the remaining pot of steaming dark caffeine. She fumbled briefly when her crutch tangled with the door of the refrigerator and willed herself to slow before she accidentally dumped the creamer onto the floor.   
  
After opening the container, she began to pour the creamer into her coffee, stopping in disbelief when she noticed that the liquid mixing with her coffee was green. Almost frantic in her need to put caffeine into her system, Kerry looked at the expiration date on the carton, noting that today was well before the sell date. Confused and angry she sniffed the creamer, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.   
  
For a brief moment she thought she was going to cry. But then it hit her. The date. April Fools Day.   
  
Malucci.  
  
She barely controlled the scream of outrage that threatened to burst out of her.   
  
*HE* had done this. *HE* had ruined the creamer. *HE* had spoiled her coffee.  
  
And he was going to pay.  
  
====  
  
Randi looked up in surprise as the lounge door flew open with a crash and Dr. Weaver exited, eyes wild with rage.  
  
Quickly putting her Cosmo magazine into a drawer, Randi gulped, preparing herself for the storm.  
  
Kerry approached the board, searching it intently before turning to Randi. "Where's Dr. Malucci?"  
  
Randi shrugged, honestly. The man had a habit for disappearing. "I haven't seen him in a while."  
  
Glaring at her, Kerry whispered angrily. "Find Malucci and tell him that I know about the green creamer and I want to see him. Immediately!"  
  
Randi nodded.   
  
Kerry returned to her manhunt, mumbling words as she left that were just out of hearing range for Randi.  
  
Green creamer?   
  
Randi remembered her futile search for the Saint Patrick's Day decorations.   
  
She had just discovered who'd taken them.  
  
====  
  
Abby bit her lip in hesitation as she watched, from the hallway in front of trauma room two, Carter and Benton examine a patient who had run through a glass door.  
  
She wanted to talk to Carter about the flowers, but at the same time, didn't know what to say. She was flattered, really. She just wasn't expecting it from *him*. She glanced in at Carter again. Maybe it wasn't the right time to mention it with Benton in the room, either.  
  
Abby turned to leave, but from the corner of her eye caught Carter waving her into the room. Well, she thought, she didn't have much of a choice now. And it was as good a time as any, she supposed.  
  
Carter smiled at her when she walked in, no doubt, Abby thought, imagining what her reaction was to the flowers in her locker. Abby didn't know if she should smile back. She didn't want to encourage him in leaving gifts for her. Or did she? No. She was with Luka, and Carter knew that. But again she was puzzled.   
  
Whatever the case, it took her so long to think that now Carter was frowning at her.  
  
Abby sighed. Why were things so difficult for her to decide?  
  
She moved closer to the table to look at the glass embedded in the patient's face and hands. She grimaced. It looked painful. Abby looked up at Carter, waiting for the round of tests he'd order.  
  
He shook his head, anticipating her question. "I already got Chuny to run the tests." He smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about something from earlier."  
  
Abby's stomach fluttered. She immediately steeled herself and took a breath. "About the flowers?"  
  
Carter frowned again, confused. "What flowers? I meant Malucci."  
  
Now Abby was confused. "You don't know what flowers I'm talking about?"  
  
He shrugged and shook his head. "No idea."  
  
She didn't know what kind of a joke he was trying to pull, but she wasn't finding it funny. "You left flowers in my locker."  
  
Carter looked at her, his face a mask of innocence. "No I didn't." And then he smirked. "You sure all that *activity* with Malucci didn't effect your vision?"  
  
Abby glanced over at Benton as the older doctor busied himself with the patient. She looked back to Carter and glared. "He *hit* his nose, so it was bleeding. And I know the card was from *you*."  
  
Carter grinned. "Now there's a card?"  
  
Abby sighed, frustrated. "I'm not kidding, Carter. Did you put them in my locker or not?"  
  
He held up his hands, warding off her accusations. He realized she was serious. "No, honestly. I didn't put a thing in your locker."   
  
She searched his gaze for hidden lies, but couldn't find anything. He smiled apologetically. Still confused and slightly disappointed, Abby left Carter to help Benton and walked back to the hallway.  
  
Engrossed in her thoughts about Carter and the flowers, Abby turned the corner and walked straight into Deb.  
  
"Oh, Dr. Chen. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
They smiled at each other.  
  
Deb nodded her head toward trauma room two. "Doctor Carter in there?"  
  
Remembering her conversation with him moments before, Abby rolled her eyes. "Yeah."  
  
Deb looked at her curiously. "You both okay?"  
  
Abby smiled. "Just confused."  
  
Patiently, Deb waited for her to continue.  
  
Abby waved her hand distractedly. "Oh, it's nothing. He's just being..." She stopped, at a loss for words.  
  
"Himself?" Deb guessed.  
  
Abby grinned. "Yeah."  
  
"Well, wish me luck then. I have to go talk to him, too."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Deb patted her lab coat pocket. "A little card issue."  
  
Abby paused, shocked. "A card?"  
  
Deb nodded.  
  
"You got a card from Carter, too?" Abby asked, mulling over this turn of events.  
  
"Too?"  
  
Abby pointed toward trauma room two and the invisible Carter behind its walls. "*He* left me flowers and a card."  
  
Deb raised an eyebrow. "And you asked him about it?"  
  
Abby nodded. "He said it wasn't from him."  
  
Thinking quickly, Deb pulled Abby toward the wall. "Wait here. I'll be right back."  
  
When Abby started to ask another question, Deb stopped her. "I think I know what Carter's up to." With that she headed into the trauma room, glancing back only to make sure Abby was waiting for her.  
  
==  
  
"John?"  
  
Carter looked up at Deb walking through the trauma room doors in surprise. "Oh, hi!"  
  
She gave a little wave hello. "I just wanted to thank you."  
  
He frowned slightly. "For what?"  
  
She smiled, knowingly. "For the beautiful card."  
  
Carter glanced at Benton as a smothered chuckle burst into the brief silence of the room. Peter met his look, eyebrows raised in mock innocence. Carter cleared his throat. "What card?" He asked, beginning to dread her answer.  
  
"The one you left in a patient's chart."  
  
"Um...I didn't..." He shook his head, confused.  
  
Deb laughed. "You don't have to say *anything*. I just wanted to say thanks."  
  
Before Carter could even say a thing, Deb waved goodbye and swept out of the room.   
  
He glared at Benton as once again the soft chuckle began. Peter glanced up from the patient to Carter. "Girl trouble?" He asked, eyes glittering with amusement.  
  
==  
  
Abby waited against the wall with growing impatience. Deb hadn't been gone long, but she had been too vague in her answers to Abby to make up for this.   
  
And two cards!  
  
Earlier, Abby had the feeling that Carter hadn't been entirely truthful, but now she was sure he'd lied. She just didn't know *why* he couldn't just come out and tell her.  
  
Men.  
  
Seeing Deb come around the corner broke Abby out of her thoughts quickly. "So what happened?" She whispered when Deb was in hearing range.  
  
Deb motioned for Abby to follow her. "Let's talk in the lounge."  
  
Abby walked down the hall next to her, questions burning to be asked. Finally she couldn't hold them in. "What did he say?"  
  
Smiling, Deb paused briefly. "He had no idea what I was talking about."  
  
Abby groaned. Deb was almost as impossible to talk to as Carter was.  
  
Hearing her, Deb relented. "Okay, do you know what holiday is today?"  
  
Thinking quickly, Abby nodded. "April Fools. Oh." She got it. She should have known Carter was playing some sort of prank as soon as she'd opened her locker.  
  
Deb nodded and resumed her walk toward the lounge. "There's still revenge, and I've got an idea."  
  
Abby followed, smiling. She had some ideas of her own.  
  
====  
  
Malucci tried to slowly keep pace with Abby and Deb, dancing in and out of the shadows so they didn't notice him.   
  
It was hard work.   
  
Not only were the halls crowded with patients, but they were staring at him with such intensity that he was bound to draw Abby or Deb's attention eventually.  
  
He watched as they rounded a corner and disappeared into the lounge.   
  
Damn.   
  
He'd only caught a section of their conversation, but it couldn't have been good. Malucci had never expected that the two of them would meet up. Much less talk about the gifts he'd planted.  
  
Women.  
  
Trust them to gossip about everything.  
  
Malucci was glad he hadn't left a little prank for Carter in his locker after all. From the look on Deb and Abby's face, they might just take care of it for him.  
  
He looked over to the admit desk to see Randi beckoning to him urgently. He sauntered over casually. "Looking good, Randi."  
  
She gave him the once over. "I take it Weaver hasn't found you, yet."  
  
Malucci paused, at once alarmed. "Weaver?" He asked, wishing his voice had sounded lower.  
  
Randi nodded, eyes searching around the ER. "She knows about the creamer."  
  
She watched as his face paled slightly and he gulped audibly. He whispered, "Did she sound mad?"  
  
Randi almost smiled, but held it in check. "She didn't get her coffee, Malucci. She's royally pissed."  
  
Malucci ducked beneath the admit desk, relying on Randi to keep the look out. "Oh my God. I thought she'd be home by now."  
  
Randi shook her head. "She's pulling a double shift."  
  
He moaned. "What am I going to do?"  
  
After double-checking to make sure Weaver wasn't coming, Randi leaned down to Malucci. "I'll help you, but I want to know what you've been doing to Deb and Abby."  
  
He looked up at her, trying to play innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"You've been following them all morning."   
  
Malucci shook his head.  
  
Randi picked up the phone, threateningly. "I'll page Weaver."  
  
Malucci almost screamed. He risked throwing an arm over the counter, holding Randi's hand hostage against the phone. He whisperingly pleaded with her not to call.  
  
However, Randi was determined to find out what he was up to, even if it meant getting Weaver involved. She stared him down and whispered back. "Tell me!"  
  
He sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine. But *please* help me."  
  
She nodded and waited for him to continue.  
  
"It's just an April Fool's Joke. I put flowers in Abby's locker and a card in one of Deb's charts as though it's from Carter."  
  
"Does Carter know?"  
  
"I didn't tell him, but Abby and Deb just did. He has no idea what it's about, though."  
  
"And where did you put the bag of decorations?"  
  
He thought for a moment. "In the cupboard above the microwave."  
  
Randi quickly glanced up and around for Weaver. Making sure she was keeping up her side of the bargain. She looked back to Malucci who was once again cowering under the desk. "I want in with the pranks."  
  
Malucci glared at her. "No way."  
  
She made a motion to pick up the phone again.  
  
He shook his head vigorously, too scared to not give in. "Okay, okay! Fine!"  
  
Randi grinned and headed for the lounge. "I'm going to go talk with them."  
  
Malucci pressed against the counter of the desk. "But what am I going to do?" He whispered frantically.  
  
She smiled. "Keep on the move, Dave. Weaver just went in to Curtain Two."  
  
====  
  
Malucci backed slowly into the empty trauma room, eyes peeled for any sign of Weaver.  
  
So far he'd been extremely lucky. Just seeing her from a distance was enough to scare him into fits of shaking.  
  
He closed the door silently, hiding against the wall so he could stay in the shadows and keep an eye on the hallway.  
  
The other door to the room closed with a click.  
  
Malucci froze.  
  
"I've been looking for you."  
  
At the sound of Weaver's voice, Malucci immediately tried to make a run for it.  
  
"Freeze Dr. Malucci."  
  
He did.  
  
He turned to see her slowly approaching him, eyes full of rage. She stopped about two feet from him. "You ruined my coffee."  
  
He bowed his head in submission. "I'm really sorry about that."  
  
The fury in her voice brought his eyes back up to meet hers. "I should fire you."  
  
Malucci knew he should stay quiet, but a tiny flare of anger bit through his fear. "Just because of your coffee?"  
  
He barely knew what hit him. It came so fast.  
  
==  
  
Malucci ran to the admit desk as fast as he could, his throbbing head cradled in his free hand.  
  
He glanced backward, fearing that she was following him with an ax.  
  
The hallway was clear.  
  
As was most of the area around the admit desk. The remaining patients were either being seen or waiting in Chairs.  
  
Malucci picked up his pace, though he didn't think he could. Fear could do amazing things.  
  
He ran around the opposite side of the admit desk so he could keep an eye on the hallway. Only Carter sat at the counter of the desk, and he was watching Malucci with a mixture of horror and shock.  
  
Malucci took his hand from his head and pointed at his throbbing temple. "She *hit* me!"  
  
Carter glanced at the object Malucci held in his other hand. "So you took her *crutch*?"  
  
Looking down at it, Malucci frowned. "I thought she was going to hit me again! I didn't want her to hit me!"  
  
Carter watched as Malucci scanned the empty hallway yet again. "You didn't hit *her* with it, did you?"  
  
Malucci paled, but shook his head, grimacing at the pain. "No." Then he paused, thinking. "Oh my God. Maybe. I don't know! I don't remember! I just grabbed it and ran!"  
  
"Malucci, you do realize she's going to kill you officially now."  
  
His face literally blanched while his eyes began to fill with tears. "But I didn't mean to take it! I just thought she'd hit me again! I didn't mean it!"  
  
Immediately Carter felt sympathy for him. "Do you want some advice?"  
  
Malucci nodded, face contorted with pain.  
  
Carter smiled, ever so slightly. "Keep running."  
  
====  
  
  
And there is where I'll leave you for Part Two! As you can see, the challenge is beginning, but there's still a ways to go...which is why you come in! Please vote on the following three questions (leaving your response here or at my e-mail)...Thank you!  
  
#1 What does Malucci do with Kerry's crutch?  
A) Hides it  
B) Passes it off to someone else  
C) Gives it back to Kerry  
D) Something else  
  
#2 What is the revenge prank on Carter? (Your ideas)  
  
#3 Should Randi tell the other girls about Malucci's pranks?  
A) Yes  
B) No 


	3. Fools In April Part Three

"Fools In April: Part Three" (an interactive fic)  
  
  
Author's Note(s!):   
  
#1 - Sorry for the delay you guys! A case of writer's block and spring break do *not* go well together. Okay, anyone notice how the episode "Survival of the Fittest" was such a shout-out to tons of FanFic? You guys hadn't read this Part yet (obviously), but since I already had most of it written, man, I was dying! Malucci and April Fools? Thank you.  
  
#2 - Let me just say "Wow!". You all amaze me. I didn't think the responses to Part Two would vary too much in requests for Part Three. Boy, was I wrong. Like, *really* wrong. So, for all of you who love Carter and don't want him to get pranked upon, I'm sorry for Part Two. He's gonna get it. (grin!) However, keep reading the Parts that will follow. 'Cause if you do truly love him (and I know you all do), you are going to be giddy (giddy...what a weird word...anyway) over what he does for revenge.   
  
#3 - I've decided not to make this fanfic romantic between Carter and Abby very much only because I've been writing one called "Just A Dinner Date" for everyone who's been begging me to. And yes, I will be writing a conclusion to it!  
  
#4 - Thank you to all the voters and to Cein and Roamyn for some lovely ideas (about Carter). :) Voting for Part Two is closed, but Part Three needs you! And, (sorry for those of you who have memorized this)...blah blah blah...please send responses to my e-mail or leave here.  
  
RESULTS:  
  
What does Malucci do with Kerry's crutch?  
A) Hides it-4  
B) Passes it off to someone else-7  
C) Gives it back to Kerry-0  
D) Something else-1  
  
What is the revenge prank on Carter? (Your ideas)  
Sorry...can't tell you the ideas because I'm going to use some (actually, most) in Part Three and other Parts to come! I'm evil...Yes, I know.  
  
Should Randi tell the other girls about Malucci's pranks?  
A) Yes-4  
B) No-8  
  
  
====  
  
Randi stood secretly outside the lounge, ear pressed to the door trying to gain any tidbits of Abby and Deb's conversation that she could.   
  
Unfortunately, she couldn't hear a thing.  
  
In order to hear their plans for Carter she would have to go inside and risk them leaving.   
  
Randi shrugged. She needed to get the decorations for Haleh anyway. And who knew, they might just move to a room where she could hear better.  
  
She pushed open the door to the lounge and casually glanced over to the couch where Deb and Abby were hunched together conspiratorially.   
  
As soon as they saw her, Abby lowered her voice dramatically.  
  
In order to maintain indifference, Randi walked to the microwave, humming a meaningless tune. She opened the cabinet above the microwave and pulled down Haleh's decorations.  
  
She didn't have anything left to do since she'd gotten the bag, but there was no way she was going to leave without getting some information from them. So, she put the bag on the counter and pretended to rifle through it.  
  
However, Randi still couldn't hear what Abby was saying, especially over her humming. She didn't want to stop, though, in case they realized she was listening.   
  
At a loss of what to do, Randi tapped her fingers against her lips. The action gave her an idea. She turned toward them and leaned against the counter. Continuing to tap her fingers against her lips, Randi was able to lower her humming in feigned thought.   
  
Finally, at the lower volume, she began to hear their conversation.  
  
"But maybe I'm wrong. Half might not be enough." Abby whispered, and aware of Randi's attention on them, twisted around on the couch so her back was toward the counter.  
  
Deb, however, stared at Randi, nonplussed.   
  
She had worked in the ER long enough to know Randi's wily ways. Deb wasn't fooled by Randi's reason in the lounge for a second. She knew exactly what Randi wanted.   
  
Ironically, Deb had actually thought about telling Randi their strategy later in case she could help them keep Kerry distracted. Sometimes an ally at the admit desk came in handy.  
  
Deb wouldn't mind giving Randi some of the information all right, but the girl would have to work for it.   
  
She coughed lightly, keeping her gaze on Randi.  
  
Immediately Randi noticed Deb's attention and began brushing imaginary dust from the coffee machine, trying to set it up to brew a new pot. She looked at the various buttons with a feeling of overwhelming confusion.  
  
She didn't have the faintest clue as to how to make coffee. There was a reason coffee shops existed, Randi thought darkly. *They* were supposed to make the coffee. She just drank it.  
  
Biting her lip, Randi pushed in a button. She stared at the machine, horrified, as a beeping noise filled the air and various red lights appeared.  
  
She fiddled around with the buttons, but when it produced no change, Randi reached behind the machine and pulled the plug.  
  
Amidst the blessed silence, Randi heard some muted snickers.  
  
She whirled around to glare at Abby and Deb, but the two were facing each other, seemingly deep in thought.  
  
Randi glared at them anyway. She knew they were perfectly aware of her motives. Trying to salvage a bit of dignity, Randi mumbled something about a "broken coffee machine" and turned back around to allow them to finish their planning.  
  
Grimacing, she flicked away dust balls and moved mugs around in the sink to stay busy.  
  
Having made her point, Deb smirked and continued her conversation, at neutral volume, with Abby. "Half should be plenty. It only needs to be a really small dose."  
  
Abby raised an eyebrow in consternation at Deb's volume and cocked her head back toward Randi. She kept whispering. "But what if he wakes up too soon?"  
  
Deb smiled but didn't lower her voice. "We'll be real quick." Then she got up from the couch and made for the door.   
  
Abby shrugged and followed, asking one last question. "So you stay here to monitor him when he gets back and I take him out for coffee?"  
  
Randi strained to hear Deb's answer before the lounge door swung shut.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Randi would have cheered, but she *had* to wash her hands. The thought of germs on her from touching dirty mugs and dust balls gave her the creeps. She didn't stay at the admit desk for nothing. There was no way she'd even venture to touch a sick patient without layers of protective gear. She preferred the NASA astronaut suits, but doubted she had enough money to invest in one.  
  
Finished with sterilizing herself, Randi went to throw away the paper towel in the trash can next to the locker wall. She paused, thinking. Then, she let her gaze flick past various doctors' and nurses' lockers before settling on Malucci's.   
  
Randi grinned.  
  
Two could play the April Fool's game.  
  
Luckily, Randi knew the combination codes for all of the lockers. She was extraordinarily pleased with herself for having taken the time to memorize them. She knew they would come in handy some day. It wasn't *her* fault that she'd been around the day they installed the codes into the computer program. Of course she'd managed to get the main access code, but no one would know, and obviously it was worth it.  
  
Randi decided a little game of locker content switch-around was in order.   
  
Quickly she opened up the lockers, except Malucci's, and began to mix up the contents. She threw Kerry's CDs into Mark's locker, Mark's clothes into Benton's, Benton's books into Deb's, Deb's candles into Romano's, Romano's...wait, what was *that*?  
  
She held up a jar filled with pink fluid and tried to peer through the hazy film. Something bobbed around inside, but she couldn't make out what it was. Feeling a little nauseous, she gingerly put the jar on Elizabeth's locker shelf.   
  
She, along with almost everyone in the hospital, was well aware of Romano's obsessively gross affection for Elizabeth. She chuckled, imagining the confrontation when Elizabeth found her little gift.   
  
Randi glanced at her watch and hurriedly returned to her task.   
  
After she had completely disorganized and closed everyone's locker, she opened Malucci's.   
  
Randi smiled, proud of her accomplishments and the one yet to come.  
  
Her idea set, she went back to the lounge counter and looked around in the cabinets.   
  
She knew there was a bottle of superglue around here somewhere.  
  
====  
  
Panic.  
  
That was the only way to describe what he was feeling.  
  
Well, Malucci thought, maybe there was a better way.  
  
Terror-filled panic.  
  
Yes, that was it. That was the exact feeling he was experiencing while running, no...sprinting, down the halls of County.  
  
After a brief stop to grab some gauze to attach to the small cut on his throbbing temple, Malucci had been on the move ever since.  
  
He'd tried to hide out upstairs in OB earlier, but one of the nurses told him that his fear-stricken, crutch-holding demeanor was scaring the mothers.  
  
It had taken all his self-control in order to prevent blubbering out his whole story to her in fits of sobs and gasps right then.   
  
Amazingly he had smiled at her, nodded and walked down a floor.  
  
They say that with too much fear comes insanity.  
  
Obviously, smiling at the nurse when he felt like crying, meant he was crazy now.  
  
After all, it wasn't everyday a madwoman who wasn't afraid to use a weapon was hunting you for your life.  
  
But even being insane didn't make him immune from the fear that coursed through his body.  
  
And so here he was *again*, dodging through the halls of the ER.  
  
However, Malucci was running on empty. He was out of adrenaline and tiring. He needed a rest.   
  
Quickly he pushed his way into the drug lock-up.   
  
And ran into someone.  
  
He screamed and threw himself to the floor, feebly lashing out with Kerry's crutch, trying to fend off the fatal blow.  
  
Instead of the defib paddles he imagined shocking his very much *alive* body, he heard a low chuckling.  
  
Confused Malucci looked up and saw Luka standing above him.  
  
Luka grinned widely. "You scream like a girl."  
  
Embarrassed, Malucci stood up. He used the moment to come up with a retort. "Yeah, well you *look* like one."  
  
Luka frowned.   
  
Malucci smiled to show he was kidding. "I'm just teasing you. I was only..." He stopped when he noticed that Luka was still frowning, his gaze focused on Kerry's crutch.  
  
Malucci smiled guiltily.  
  
Luka looked up, confused. "Isn't that Kerry's crutch?"  
  
"Yeah." Malucci thought quickly. "Wait. Don't tell me you haven't heard about this?"  
  
Luka shook his head.  
  
Faking shock, Malucci gasped. "Well, where have you been?"  
  
At Luka's confusion, Malucci explained. "Every so often we play this game where we pass around Kerry's crutch. Have you ever heard of hide-and-seek?"  
  
Luka nodded.  
  
Malucci continued. "It's sort of like that. We hold onto her crutch for as long as possible until she gets it. You know, hiding so she doesn't see you or whatever."  
  
Luka raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "And Kerry plays this game?"  
  
Malucci smiled, trying to put on an air of confidence. "Sure! She starts it actually."  
  
Luka still wasn't convinced. "And what is the point?"  
  
Malucci took a second to look out the window of the lock-up in order to come up with a reply. "Uh...to be the one to hold the crutch the longest. It's just for fun, no point really...keeps the boredom away."  
  
Starting to believe just a bit, Luka kept asking questions. "Why did you come in here running?"  
  
"Kerry saw me."  
  
"Why didn't you give back the crutch, then?"  
  
"She has to *take* it from me. The rules, you see."  
  
"I thought you are supposed to hide when you see her."  
  
"Well...uh...yes, but if she sees you then you have to run like mad and pass it off." Malucci used the opportunity to hand the crutch over to Luka. "There. Now *you* are in charge of it."  
  
Luka started to ask another question, but Malucci cut him off. "Just remember. Stay hidden, but if she sees you, run and hand it off." With that, he ran out of the drug locker, checking the hallway for signs of an enraged redhead.  
  
Luka stared at the crutch in his hands and shrugged. Why not play? Malucci said Kerry approved. Anyway, he *was* bored.  
  
He crouched down and shuffled quietly to the door of the lockup. Then he peered cautiously over the sill of the window and into the empty hallway.  
  
He giggled lightly. American games were so much fun.  
  
====  
  
Abby leaned against the wall outside the exam room, waiting for Carter to finish discharging a patient.   
  
She had a proposal for him. She'd gone over her 'speech' several times and was pretty sure she could convince him to accompany her over to Doc Magoo's for some coffee.  
  
But she patted her lab coat pocket anyway, just to reassure herself that she'd remembered to bring the powdered pill.  
  
Abby was excited. It wasn't everyday that she was able to get revenge.   
  
She thought back to the many times she had sat outside devising all sorts of pranks to play on her brother. The two of them had kept many a boring and hungry day away with their endless jokes on each other *and* everyone around them.  
  
Abby had to admit; she had a talent for revenge.  
  
And today she planned to use it.  
  
Lost in her thoughts from the past, she almost missed the opportunity to grab Carter as he came out the door. Reaching out, she caught his arm as he passed. "Carter!"  
  
He stopped and smiled at her cautiously. "Hi, Abby."  
  
"Um...hey. I wanted to know if I could talk with you."  
  
Carter nodded, then looked at her guiltily. "Are you still mad at me?"  
  
Abby grinned. "No, Carter. I just needed to talk about...things." Abby kicked herself internally, her 'speech' was definitely *not* coming out the way she'd planned. "Can we get some coffee?"  
  
Shrugging a yes, Carter headed for the lounge.  
  
Abby stopped him. "Actually, can we go to Doc Magoo's?"  
  
She could tell he was curious by the way he looked at her, but luckily didn't question her motives. After a quick scan of the patient board, Abby and Carter walked over to the diner for coffee.  
  
====  
  
Stumbling through the hallway, Kerry cursed Malucci yet again.  
  
An IV pole was *not* meant to be used as a crutch.  
  
She didn't know what she'd do when she found Malucci. Preferably something so horrible that he'd never again walk correctly for the rest of his life. Then she could kick his wheelchair over or glue his crutches to the floor or something like that.   
  
Kerry was so enraged her vision was red.  
  
She knew she had lost control when she had hit him with her crutch. She hadn't actually planned to do that, but his smirking comebacks had infuriated her.   
  
Kerry smiled, the redness of the ER hallway fading to a dull pink. The look on his face after she'd hit him was priceless.  
  
Kerry stumbled when the IV pole caught on a gurney in the hallway. She bit back a string of curses, focusing instead on the effect coffee would have on her system. Either that or another good whack at Malucci.  
  
Calmer, Kerry continued her way toward the lounge.  
  
She rounded the corner and saw Luka's head peeking over the windowsill of the drug lock-up. He saw her and his eyes opened wide in surprise. Before she could question why he'd been hiding, crouched behind the door, he took off at a run through the other side.  
  
Kerry sighed. She didn't know what had gotten into her residents today.  
  
Pushing open the lounge door with her free hand, Kerry walked in on Randi super gluing a jacket into a locker.  
  
Randi whirled around in shock. "Dr. Weaver!"  
  
"Randi." Kerry glanced at the superglue and the open locker. "I probably shouldn't ask, but, what are you doing?"  
  
Randi swallowed and looked down at the bottle of glue. "Um...well, I...prank."  
  
Kerry frowned. "Excuse me?"  
  
Randi held out the bottle of glue, as if for Kerry's inspection. "A prank."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kerry tried again. "May I ask *why*?"  
  
Raising her eyebrows in disbelief, Randi tried to keep the 'duh' out of her voice. "It's April Fool's Day."  
  
The look of astonishment on Kerry's face changing to a grin and evil gleam in her eye made Randi take a step back. Kerry grinned at Randi. "Is that Malucci's locker by any chance?"  
  
Smiling lightly, Randi nodded. "Sure is."  
  
Kerry immediately put back on her professional persona. "Keep up the good work, Randi." She left the lounge for the admit desk thinking about her possibilities for revenge.  
  
She needed a couple of pairs of handcuffs.  
  
====  
  
Abby sat, half listening to Carter as he talked about the latest benefit his grandparents had hosted. She was trying to think of a way to get the sleeping pill into his coffee.  
  
Deb had said the powder would dissolve fairly quickly, so she just needed him to look away for a few seconds.  
  
Biting her lip, Abby nodded at something Carter said.  
  
He glanced at her curiously. "You would?"  
  
She looked up at him, caught off guard. "What?"  
  
Carter raised an eyebrow. "I was asking if you wanted to come to my grandparent's charity dinner next weekend."  
  
Abby shrugged. "Do you really need someone to go with?"  
  
He didn't answer because, lucky for Abby, Elizabeth and Mark came into the diner, voices raised lightly in argument. Carter turned around to wave hello and motion them to join Abby and him in their booth.  
  
Abby used the moment to dump the little bit of powder into his coffee, giving the cup a brief swirl to speed the dissolving process.  
  
By the time Carter had turned around, Abby was sitting back in her seat, looking as though she hadn't moved.  
  
Elizabeth caught Abby's eye and silently questioned what Abby had been doing. Abby shook her head, hoping Elizabeth wouldn't ask. Elizabeth, caught up in her conversation with Mark, shrugged it off and sat down next to her.  
  
Mark sighed. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry for this morning, okay? I thought you said pancakes."  
  
Glaring at him, Elizabeth shook her head in bafflement. "How did you hear pancakes? I said omelet. Omelet sounds nothing like pancakes."  
  
"Maybe because you had an omelet yesterday that I thought today you'd want something different." Mark said, exasperated.  
  
"Did I *say* I wanted something different? I was perfectly happy sticking to the same breakfast as yesterday."  
  
Mark rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous. Elizabeth, I made a mistake, but I've been listening to you ever since then and I've proved that I'm hearing you, okay?"  
  
Elizabeth crossed her arms over her pregnant belly. "You've just been lucky."  
  
Abby and Carter glanced at each other from across the table, each conveying through their eye contact, the awkwardness of the situation with their co-workers argument. At a loss for what to do, Carter picked up his coffee and drained it. Abby tightened her stomach guiltily when Carter grimaced and looked into his empty cup. He looked up at her and mouthed "tastes funny" while pointing at his coffee cup. Abby nodded, secretly pleased that he didn't suspect her.  
  
Mark stood up from the booth. "Look, I've said I'm sorry and I don't know what else to do. I'm going to go to work."  
  
Abby silently motioned for Carter to go with Mark, trying to give the impression that she wanted to talk with Elizabeth.  
  
He took the hint and left.  
  
==  
  
Abby settled into her seat with a small sigh. She'd done it!  
  
Elizabeth looked at her, a scowl on her face.  
  
Offering a smile, Abby patted her arm. "Are you okay?"  
  
Nodding, Elizabeth smiled back. "Just a stupid argument."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Abby picked up her cup of coffee and started to take a sip. Elizabeth stopped her. "I thought Carter said it tasted funny."  
  
Abby nodded, coming up with an excuse. "Um...to him."  
  
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Maybe it was because you put something into his drink."  
  
Having been caught, Abby set down her coffee. "So you *did* see."  
  
She nodded. "What was it for?"  
  
Abby figured it wouldn't hurt to tell the truth. So, she explained the prank Deb and her had set up to play on Carter.  
  
Elizabeth smiled, understanding their plan and the meaning of April Fool's Day. "Do you think you could help me plan one?"  
  
Abby frowned, confused. "On Carter?"  
  
Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. "No, on Mark!"  
  
Letting that sink in, Abby grinned. "Sure. But we should include Deb because she has some amazing ideas."  
  
====  
  
Damn!  
  
Running full speed out of the drug-lock up, Luka scolded himself for his lack of patience.  
  
He *knew* he shouldn't have checked the hallway again so soon, but he'd just been so excited.  
  
Looking back over his shoulder, he didn't see Kerry chasing him. Maybe he still had time to pass it off.  
  
Turning into an exam room, Luka approached Yosh who was feeding a patient ice chips. "Yosh!"  
  
Yosh looked up in consternation to see Luka coming toward him holding out Kerry's crutch. "Dr. Kovac?"  
  
Luka smiled ruefully. "Your turn, she saw me."  
  
Yosh shook his head, not understanding, his horrified gaze focused on the crutch. "What?"  
  
"You know." Luka said, urging Yosh to take the crutch. "The game."  
  
Yosh looked up at Luka, terribly confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
Luka shrugged. "You must be new at the game, too." He sat down on the edge of the bed and repeated what Malucci had told him. "So, now *you* can hide from her."  
  
Glancing from the crutch back up to Luka, Yosh pointed at him. "You're serious."  
  
Luka nodded. "Honest."  
  
"Okay then." Yosh said. "Leave it here."  
  
Grinning, Luka patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck!"  
  
====  
  
Carter sat at the admit desk, head propped up on his hands. He stared at the blurry computer screen and yawned.  
  
He was *exhausted*.  
  
Slowly he glanced over to the patient board, relived to see that only a handful of patients remained and that none of them were *his*.  
  
He needed a long nap.  
  
Carter stood up and yawned again. He walked over to Mark to get permission for a sleep break.  
  
Mark looked up at the board then nodded.  
  
Sighing happily, Carter headed for an empty room and bed.  
  
==  
  
Deb counted down the last few seconds then looked up from her watch and met Abby's eye.  
  
It was time to go.  
  
Abby nodded and hurried over to Deb's side. "It's been fifteen minutes?"  
  
Deb smiled. "Oh yeah."  
  
Grabbing the suture kit from the drawer in the hall, Abby opened it to make sure that there were two needles and plenty of thread within. After verifying that it was set, she looked up and winked at Deb.  
  
Together the two of them quietly entered the trauma room where Carter lay sleeping on the bed.  
  
Deb motioned for Abby to stay put, then she walked over to the bed and turned on the light.  
  
Carter didn't move. He was fast asleep.  
  
Giggling, Deb waved Abby over. Although Carter wouldn't wake, Deb didn't want to take any chances. She whispered to Abby. "Let's make this fast, but thorough."  
  
Nodding, Abby opened up the kit and after handing Deb one needle, took the other for herself.  
  
A quick glance between them and they began.  
  
Try as they could, neither could stop smiling.  
  
==  
  
Carter cracked open an eye and groaned. His head was throbbing and his tongue felt cottony. Probably the coffee...it *had* tasted weird.  
  
He sat up and bumped his head against the trauma room light. Carter groaned again. Now he really had a headache. He glared at the light in the dark and after turning it on, pushed it out of the way.  
  
For a moment he wondered how it had got over him, but realized it might have always been there and he'd been so tired he didn't remember.  
  
Carter glanced at his watch, amazed that he'd only slept for about an hour. He had been ridiculously tired and thought he would sleep for days.  
  
Obviously all he had needed was a quick nap.  
  
He got off the bed and stretched, relishing the diminishing headache as air rushed into his system.  
  
There probably weren't any patients needing to be seen since no one had woken him, but since he was still on duty, he felt obligated to check. Plus, he wasn't tired anymore.  
  
Carter opened the door and froze, as orange juice seemed to explode onto him from out of nowhere. Futilely wiping at his wet and orange clothes, Carter looked up to see Deb standing in front of him, an empty cup and half a bottle of orange juice in her hands.  
  
She smiled sheepishly at him. "I thought you might like an after nap drink."  
  
Carter smiled back tightly. "This wasn't exactly what I was expecting."  
  
She shrugged. "Sorry, John."  
  
He shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. I just have to change."  
  
She nodded, a slight smirk on her face.  
  
Carter sighed and grabbing a clean pair of scrubs, went into the bathroom to change.  
  
He glanced at himself in the mirror and ran a hand through his damp hair. He needed a shower, too.  
  
Carter proceeded to try and loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt. For a moment he thought his shirt was too wet that his fingers couldn't get purchase on the buttons. However, when he inspected his shirt, he noticed that one side had carefully been sewn to the other.  
  
Confused, Carter tried to take off his lab coat to inspect the shirt more carefully. It, too, was sewn to him.   
  
Not liking where this was leading, Carter checked all his clothes. Amazingly, everything was sewn to him. His socks to his shoes, his shoes to his pants, pants to belt, shirt to pants, tie to shirt, shirtsleeve to lab coat sleeve. Even his lapels and pants pockets had been sewn shut!  
  
He didn't want to rip the clothes apart, and he couldn't very well reach behind him to undo anything back there...he was going to have to get someone to undo the stiches.  
  
Carter grinned, embarrassed. Whoever had done this was very good.  
  
He thought for a few minutes, reflecting on the past morning and the behaviors of Abby and Deb. He remembered the odd tasting coffee, the immediate feeling of sleepiness, the spillage of orange juice...  
  
Carter shook his head. *They* had to have done this. Leave it to Deb and Abby to come up with this sort of prank.  
  
He looked at himself in the mirror again, then grinned.  
  
They were going to wish they'd never messed with him.   
  
But first, he thought, and sighed, he needed to find Benton so he could get out of his clothes.  
  
====  
  
  
End Part Three! :) Undoubtedly you realize that as today is April 1st, this story is far from finished. So if you don't mind, I'm going to continue until the natural end is reached. I'm having tons of fun with this story. Hope you can bear it if I keep writing...  
  
I do have questions for you all regarding what happens with Part Four...so, answer away!  
  
#1 If Yosh passes on the crutch, who should it be to?  
A) Malik  
B) Randi  
C) Romano  
D) Someone else (who?)  
  
#2 Who should discover his/her switched-around locker first?  
  
#3 Who finds Malucci after Kerry plays her prank? (I know you don't know the prank, yet, but throw out names, anyway). 


End file.
